Habitat

California spiny lobsters prefer rocky reef habitats, where they den in crevices. They occasionally are found in tide pools, but are more frequently found in deeper water up to 65 m in depth. California spiny lobsters seek the cover of kelp forests and surf grass. (Holthuis, 1991; Hovel and Lowe, 2007)

Physical Description

California spiny lobsters average 908 g in mass and range from 454 to 2270 g. On average, they are 30 cm long, though they can measure as large as 90 cm in length. Males are generally larger than females. The body of California spiny lobsters consists of a cephalothorax, which includes the head and legs, and an abdomen and tail, which has paddle-like swimming structures. The exoskeleton is generally red to orange in color with black markings. Spiny projections are located on the carapace (upper shell) and sides of the abdomen. Their two primary antennae may equal the length of their body. Their compound eyes rest on short stalks protected by curved spines. Unlike Maine lobsters in which the first pair of thoracic appendages are specially modified as chelipds (claws), all five pairs of appendages of California spiny lobsters are used for walking. (California Sea Grant, 2008; Holthuis, 1991)

Development

Female California spiny lobsters produce between 50,000 and 800,000 eggs per brood, which are carried underneath the abdomen by pleopods until they hatch. After hatching, young are released into the water column as phyllosoma larvae. California spiny lobsters undergo 11 distinct phyllosoma stages. They range in size from 1.2 to 1.5 mm in Stage I and from 26 to 31.2 mm in Stage XI. During these stages, they are completely planktonic, drifting with water currents. This is the most hazardous part of the life cycle. After growth and development in the water column, larvae metamorphose into puerulus, assuming the body characteristics of the adult. Puerulus settle to the seafloor and grow into juvenile lobsters. (Lindberg, 1955)

After spawning in late spring, female California spiny lobsters hold their fertilized eggs in their abdomen until they hatch. Females have feathery appendages that carefully hold the eggs as well as small pincers on the fifth pair of walking legs used to groom and maintain the egg mass. (Lindberg, 1955)

Behavior

California spiny lobsters are nocturnal, hiding in crevices and dens during the day to avoid predators. They are semi-social, sharing dens with conspecifics. At night, spiny lobsters emerge to forage, traveling up to 600 m in search of food. (Case, et al., 1985; Diaz-Arrendondo and Guzman, 1995)

Home Range

California spiny lobster constantly moves from place to place, resting in a den during the day and traveling to find food at night. They have been known to travel up to 600 m in search of food. It is unclear whether California spiny lobsters return to the same den. (Case, et al., 1985)

Communication and Perception

California spiny lobsters use visual sensing to detect predators, and chemical stimuli are perceived through the small antennae. Sensory hairs cover their appendages, including the long antennae, which are used for tactile perception. They also rub the base of their antennae against a file-like surface under each eye to generate strident warning noises to scare off potential predators. (Lindberg, 1955; Staaterman, et al., 2009)

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

California spiny lobsters have supported recreational and commercial fishing in Southern California since the late 1800s. From 1916 until 1942, annual commercial landings ranged between 90 to 180 metric tons, and in 2003 over 270 metric tons were harvested. The magnitude and impact of the recreational fishing for this species is unknown. (Barsky, et al., 2003)

Glossary

Nearctic

living in the Nearctic biogeographic province, the northern part of the New World. This includes Greenland, the Canadian Arctic islands, and all of the North American as far south as the highlands of central Mexico.

Pacific Ocean

body of water between the southern ocean (above 60 degrees south latitude), Australia, Asia, and the western hemisphere. This is the world's largest ocean, covering about 28% of the world's surface.

acoustic

uses sound to communicate

aposematic

having coloration that serves a protective function for the animal, usually used to refer to animals with colors that warn predators of their toxicity. For example: animals with bright red or yellow coloration are often toxic or distasteful.

benthic

Referring to an animal that lives on or near the bottom of a body of water. Also an aquatic biome consisting of the ocean bottom below the pelagic and coastal zones. Bottom habitats in the very deepest oceans (below 9000 m) are sometimes referred to as the abyssal zone. see also oceanic vent.

bilateral symmetry

having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.

carnivore

an animal that mainly eats meat

carrion

flesh of dead animals.

chemical

uses smells or other chemicals to communicate

coastal

the nearshore aquatic habitats near a coast, or shoreline.

cryptic

having markings, coloration, shapes, or other features that cause an animal to be camouflaged in its natural environment; being difficult to see or otherwise detect.

detritivore

an animal that mainly eats decomposed plants and/or animals

detritus

particles of organic material from dead and decomposing organisms. Detritus is the result of the activity of decomposers (organisms that decompose organic material).

ectothermic

animals which must use heat acquired from the environment and behavioral adaptations to regulate body temperature

external fertilization

fertilization takes place outside the female's body

female parental care

parental care is carried out by females

fertilization

union of egg and spermatozoan

food

A substance that provides both nutrients and energy to a living thing.

heterothermic

having a body temperature that fluctuates with that of the immediate environment; having no mechanism or a poorly developed mechanism for regulating internal body temperature.

indeterminate growth

Animals with indeterminate growth continue to grow throughout their lives.

intertidal or littoral

the area of shoreline influenced mainly by the tides, between the highest and lowest reaches of the tide. An aquatic habitat.

iteroparous

offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes).

macroalgae

seaweed. Algae that are large and photosynthetic.

metamorphosis

A large change in the shape or structure of an animal that happens as the animal grows. In insects, "incomplete metamorphosis" is when young animals are similar to adults and change gradually into the adult form, and "complete metamorphosis" is when there is a profound change between larval and adult forms. Butterflies have complete metamorphosis, grasshoppers have incomplete metamorphosis.

migratory

makes seasonal movements between breeding and wintering grounds

motile

having the capacity to move from one place to another.

natatorial

specialized for swimming

native range

the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.

nocturnal

active during the night

oviparous

reproduction in which eggs are released by the female; development of offspring occurs outside the mother's body.

saltwater or marine

mainly lives in oceans, seas, or other bodies of salt water.

scavenger

an animal that mainly eats dead animals

seasonal breeding

breeding is confined to a particular season

sexual

reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female

tactile

uses touch to communicate

temperate

that region of the Earth between 23.5 degrees North and 60 degrees North (between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle) and between 23.5 degrees South and 60 degrees South (between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle).

vibrations

movements of a hard surface that are produced by animals as signals to others

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The Animal Diversity Web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students. ADW doesn't cover all species in the world, nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe. Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts. While ADW staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable, we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control.

This material is based upon work supported by the
National Science Foundation
Grants DRL 0089283, DRL 0628151, DUE 0633095, DRL 0918590, and DUE 1122742. Additional support has come from the Marisla Foundation, UM College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, Museum of Zoology, and Information and Technology Services.